Combination water and space heater



Aug. 30, 1966 K. M. RONAN ETAL 3,269,382

COMBINATION WATER AND SPACE HEATER Filed Sept. 7, 1965 INVENTORS.Kevmef/v M Rona/7 Dona/0 Q Hayer/y ATTORNEY United States Patent Thisinvention resides in the mechanical arts. More particularly, it relatesto combination water and space heaters.

In the US. Patent No. 2,833,267, to Handley, there is disclosed acombination water and space heater. This is a heating apparatus havingstructure which functions not only to heat water, but also to provideheated air. Such an apparatus has utility in milk houses, on dairyfarms, in house trailers, tourist cabins, and the like.

An object of this invention is to improve the combination water andspace heater structure disclosed in the Handley patent. Y

A specific object of this invention is to provide a combination waterand space heater with improved efficiency of operation.

Still another specific object of this invention is to provide such acombination water and space heater with improved simplicity ofconstruction and economy of manufact-ure.

These and other objects as appear as this specification proceeds areachieved by this invention.

This invention is described in relation to the drawing which comprises amaterial part of the disclosures. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a View in elevation of a preferred, specific embodiment of theimproved combination Water and space heater of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the specific, combination water heater andspace heater of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of a vertical section of the heater of FIGS. 1 and 2,which view has been taken as indicated by the sectioning lines 33 inFIGS. 2 and 4; and

FIG. 4 is a view of a horizontal section of a lower portion of theheater of FIGS. 1 and 3, which View has been taken as indicated by thesectioning lines 44 of FIGS. 1 and 3.

In greater detail, the drawing illustrates an improved combination waterand space heater 10. As shown in FIG. 3 it has a normally vertical axisA-A and it comprises a hot water tank 11, a fuel combustion chamber 12,housing 14, water inlet and outlet means 15, air blower means 16, hotair outlet means 17, combustion gas vent means 18 and fuel burner means19.

The hot water tank 11 comprises a top wall 20, a bottom wall 22 and acylindrical side wall 24. These walls are coaxially disposed relativetothe vertical axis AA of the heating apparatus 10. These walls arejoined together as by weldments to form a Water tight structure. Thebottom wall 22 is preferably arcuate. In the specific embodiment shownit is such that the bottom of the tank as viewed from inside the tank isconvex while the bottom of the tank as viewed from below the tank isconcave. The bottom wall 22 is spaced upwardly from the normally bottomend of the cylindrical side wall 24, [whereby the lower portion of thecylindrical side wall 24 extends below the bottom wall 22 of the tankand forms a skirt portion 26.

The fuel combustion chamber 12 which has a normally vertical axiscoincident with the normally vertical axis AA of the heating apparatus10, is defined by a top wall 28 and the skirt portion 26 of thecylindrical side Wall 24. The top wall 28 is joined as by gas tightweldment to the skirt portion 26. Preferably, the top Wall 28 isarcuate. In the specific embodiment shown its shape is in substan-3,26%,382 Patented August 30, 1966 "ice tial conformity with that of thebottom wall of the hot water tank, whereby it is convex on top side andconcave on the bottom side. The bottom side of the bottom wall 22 of thehot water tank 11 and the top side of the top wall 28 of the fuelcombustion chamber 12 are vertically spaced from one another wherebythere is provided an air heating chamber 30. Between the bottom side ofthe bottom wall 22 of the hot water tank 11 and the top side of the topwall of the fuel combustion chamber the skirt portion 26 of thecylindrical side wall 24 around the air heating chamber 30 has thereinan air inlet opening 32 and a diametrically disposed air outlet opening34 in which is a hot air outlet duct 66.

The heater apparatus housing 14 has a normally vertical axis coincidentwith the normally vertical axis AA of the heater apparatus 10. Thehousing 14 comprises a generally round top wall 38 and a cylindricalside wall 40. The housing 14 encloses topwise and sidewise the hot watertank 11 and the fuel combustion chamber 12. The top wall 38 of thehousing 14 is vertically spaced from the top wall 20 of the hot watertank L1 and the cylindrical side wall 40 of the housing 14 is radiallyspaced from the cylindrical side Wall 24 of the hot water tank 11, theair heating chamber 30 and the fuel combustion chamber 12. Consequently,there are provided between the top wall 20 of the hot water tank .1 1and the top wall 38 of the housing 14 an air space 42, and between thecylindrical side wall 24 of the hot water tank .11 and cylindrical sidewall 40 of the housing 14 an annular air space 44 with the air space 42merging into the air space 44. The top wall 38 of the housing 14comprises an inner shell 46 and an outer shell 48 with thermalinsulation 50 in between, while the cylindrical side wall 40 comp-risesan inner cylindrical shell 52 and an outer cylindrical shell 54 withthermal insulation 56 in between. The housing 14 also comprises bottomclosure means in combination with the skirt portion 26 below the airinlet opening 32 through the skirt portion 26, which means encloses theannular air space at the normally bottom end thereof. In the embodimentshown the bottom closure means comprises a generally round, pan-likebase '58 fastened to downwardly extending support legs 60 and fastenedto the bottom end of the cylindrical side wall 40 of the housing I14.The bottom end of the skirt portion 26 rests on the base 58 andpreferably is fastened thereto by a suitable connection. The center ofthe base 56 preferably has an opening 6-2 therethroug-h for the passageof air into the combustion chamber 12. The opening is covered by a floorprotection plate 64 within the fuel combustion chamber 12, which plateis spaced from the base 58. It rests on supports 66 extending upwardlyfrom the base 58.

The water inlet and outlet means 15 comprise a cold water intake pipe 68and a hot water discharge pipe 70. Both pipes are disposed in air tightrelationship through openings in the top wall 38, through the top airspace 42, and in water tight relationship through openings through thetop wall 20 of the hot water tank 11. The intake end of the hot waterdischarge pipe 71 is disposed in the region of the top wall 20 while thedischarge end of the cold water intake pipe 68 is disposed in the regionof the bottom wall 22 of the tank 11. Preferably, there is also providedat the bottom of the tank a drain pipe which extends therefrom throughthe cylindrical side wall 40 of the housing 14 to an exterior drainvalve 71 (see FIG. 1).

The air blower means 16 of the space and water heater 10 of thisinvention are generally mounted on the top drive motor, which casing hasan air intake opening 72 disposed outside of the housing 14 of saidspace and water heater 10, and a pressure air discharge duct 74. Thepressure air discharge duct 74 extends preferably in substantially airtight relationship through an opening through the top wall 38 of thehousing 14 and into the top air space 42 between the top wall 20 of thehot water tank 11 and the top wall 38 of the housing 14. The internalstructure of the air blower means 16 employed in the specific embodimentshown in the drawing is of conventional structure and, therefore, neednot be further described herein.

The hot air outlet means 17 comprises the hot air outlet duct 36. Thisduct extends from the air outlet opening 34 through the skirt portion 26of the cylindrical side wall 24 and in air tight relationship through asuitable opening in the cylindrical side wall 40 of the housing 14 tothe exterior of the housing 14.

The combustion gas vent means 18 comprises a normally straight,cylindrical, heat exchange and vent pipe 78 disposed with its axissubstantially coincident with the normally vertical axis A-A of thespace and water heater of this invention. The pipe 78 extends downwardlyin air tight relationship through the top wall 38 of the housing 14 inwater tight relationship through the top wall 20 of the hot water tank11, through the hot water tank 11, in water tight relationship throughthe bottom wall 22 of the hot water tank 11, through the air heatingchamber and in air tight relationship through the top wall 28 of thefuel combustion chamber 12. Under the concepts of this invention theintake opening 80 of the combustion gas vent pipe 78 is positionedwithin the fuel combustion chamber 12 and substantially spaceddownwardly from the top wall 28 or dome of the fuel combustion chamber12. One reason for this is to maximize heat exchange between burningfuel in the fuel combustion chamber 12 and the top wall 28 of the fuelcombustion chamber 12.

The fuel burner means 19 are centrally disposed in the fuel combustionchamber 12 and preferably are arranged and constructed so as to ejectfluid fuel towards the skirt portion 26 surrounding the fuel combustionchamber 12. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the fuel burnermeans comprises a gas burner of conventional construction with burnerjets 82 being disposed about the circumference of a horizontallydisposed, ring manifold 83, the normally vertical axis of which issubstantially coincident with the axis A-A of the heating apparatus 10.The burner jets 82 face towards the skirt portion 26 surrounding thefuel combustion chamber 12. The fuel burner means 19 include aconventional, hot Water thermostat 86 (see FIG. 1) mounted on theoutside of the housing 14. The thermostate 86 has a thermostatic element(not shown) extending through the side wall of the housing -14 and hotwater tank side wall 24 into the hot water tank 11.

The air blower means 16 also comprise an air thermostat 88 mounted onthe exterior of the cylindrical side wall 40 of the housing 14 and somounted at a point thermally remote from the hot air outlet means 17.The air thermostat 88 is electrically associated with the air blowermotor, the wiring being disposed within the housing 14. Of course, it iswithin the concepts of this invention for the operation of the airblower motor to be controlled manually either with or without thesimultaneous, automatic control of the air thermostat. Also it is withinthe concepts of this invention for the air thermostat 88 to be mountedon the wall of the room in which the heating apparatus 10 is located, orelsewhere, rather than on the cylindrical side wall 40 of the housing14, or to :have in addition to the air thermostat 88 on the cylindricalside wall 40 another air thermostat 88 either in the same room as theheating apparatus 10 or elsewhere, with the two air thermostats beingelectrically hooked up in parallel to the air blower motor.

Under normal operative conditions, water in the hot water tank 11 isheated by heat from the fuel burner means 19, which heat is conveyedthrough the top wall 28 of the fuel combustion chamber, the air heatingchamber 30 and the bottom wall 22 of the hot water tank 11, and throughthe combustion .gas vent pipe 78. The temperature of the water in thehot water tank 11 and the operation of the fuel burner means 19 arecontrolled by the water thermostat 86. When the air thermostat 88actuates the air blower motor, air is sucked through the air intakeopening 72 of air blower and is blown through the air discharge duct 74into the air space 42 between the top of the hot water tank 11 and thehousing 14. The air passes down into the air space 44 about the hotwater tank side wall 24, acquiring heat from the hot water tank 11,through the air inlet opening 32 in the skirt portion 26 and into theair heating chamber 30. The air passes through the air heating chamber30 picking up more heat therein, and then passes through the hot airmeans 17 into the room in which the combination water and space heater10 is located. When the space about the heater 10 has arrived at thetemperature set by the air thermostat 88, the air blower motor is turnedoff.

Thus there is provided an improved, combination space and water heater.Not only is the construction improved, but the efficiency issubstantially improved. For example, in a gas fired, combinataion waterand space heater of the structure disclosed in the Handley patent,wherein the water storage capacity was 30 gallons, the air volumethroughput was 101.6 cubic feet per minute, the gas burner input was24,895 Btu. per hour and hourly recovery (based on a 70% efficientminimum requirement input divided by 1190) was 21 gallons, the warm airoutput at a selected burner on and off cycle was 4,594 B.t.u. per hour.In a gas fired, combination water and space heater of this inventionwherein the water storage capacity was 40 gallons, the air volumethroughput was 116.04 cubic feet per minute, the gas burner input was25,309 Btu. per hour and the hourly recovery was 21 gallons, the warmair output at the same burner on and off cycle was 11,260 B.t.u. perhour. Hence, the heating apparatus of this invention is substantiallymore efficient.

These and other features, advantages and specific embodiments of thisinvention will be readily apparent to to those in the exercise ofordinary skill in the art after reading the foregoing disclosures. Inthis connection, while a specific embodiment of this invention has beendescribed in considerable detail, variations and modifications of thisembodiment can be effected without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention as disclosed and claimed.

We claim:

1. An improved combination space and water heating apparatus whichcomprises:

a hot water tank defined by top, bottom and cylindrical side walls andcomprising cold water inlet means and hot water outlet means, said tankhaving a normally vertical axis;

a fuel combustion chamber defined by top, bottom and cyclindrical sidewalls, said chamber having a normally vertical axis coincident with saidaxis of said tank, said top wall being below said bottom wall of saidtank and spaced therefrom, the space between said bottom wall of saidtank and said top wall of said fuel combustion chamber forming an airheating chamber;

a housing comprising a top wall and a cylindrical side wall surroundingsaid tank, said housing having a normally vertical axis coincident withsaid axis of said tank, said top wall of said housing being spaced fromsaid top wall of said tank and said side wall of said housing beingspaced from said side wall of said tank, whereby there is provided airspace between the top and side walls of said housing and the top andside walls of said tank and at least said side wall of said fuelcombustion chamber in the region of said top wall thereof, said airspace being in air flow communication with said air heating chamber,said housing further comprising bottom closure means in combination withsaid side wall of said fuel combustion chamber, which bottom closuremeans enclose said air space at the normally bottom end thereof;

hot air outlet means in combination with said air heating chamber andcomprising a duct disposed through said housing for the passage of hotair from said air heating chamber to outside of said housing;

air blower means in communication with the air space between the topWall of said tank and the top wall of said housing for introducing airinto said air space from outside of said housing;

combustion gas vent means comprising a pipe disposed along said axisthrough said top wall of said housing, top wall of said tank, said tank,said bottom wall of said tank and said top Wall of said combustionchamber with the intake end thereof being disposed in said fuelcombustion chamber and substantially spaced normally downwardly fromsaid top wall of said fuel combustion chamber; and

fuel burner means centrally disposed in said fuel combustion chamber,said means being functionable to eject fuel transversely relative tosaid axis of said chamber toward said side wall of said chamber.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least normally thebottom side of said top wall of said fuel combustion chamber is arcuate.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the normally bottom side ofsaid top wall of said fuel combustion chamber is concave relative tosaid chamber.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein both the normally top andbottom side of said top wall of said fuel combustion chamber are arcuateand both the normally top and bottom sides of said bottom wall of saidtank are arcuate.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the normally bottom side ofsaid top wall of said fuel combustion chamber is concave relative tosaid fuel combustion chamher, the normally top side of said top wall ofsaid fuel combustion chamber is convex relative to the air heatingchamber, the normally bottom side of said bottom wall of said tank isconcave relative to said air heating chamber and the normally top sideof said bottom wall of said tank is convex relative to the interior ofsaid tank.

6. A heater according to claim 5 wherein said cylindrical side wall ofsaid hot water tank forms the cylindrical side wall of said fuelcombustion chamber and of said air heating chamber, and has an openingtherein diametrically opposed to said duct, whereby air in the air spacebetween the cylindrical side wall of said housing and the cylindricalside wall of said tank can flow into said air heating chamber.

7. A heater according to claim 6 wherein said housing walls containthermal insulation.

8. An improved combination space and water heating apparatus whichcomprises:

a hot water tank defined by top, bottom and cylindrical side walls andcomprising cold water inlet means and hot water outlet means, said tankhaving a normally vertical axis;

a fuel combustion chamber defined by top, bottom and cylindrical sidewalls, said chamber having a normally vertical axis coincident with saidaxis of said tank, said top wall being arcuate, below said bottom wallof said tank and spaced therefrom, the space between said bottom wall ofsaid tank and said top wall of said fuel combustion chamber forming anair heating chamber;

a housing comprising a top wall and a cylindrical side wall surroundingsaid tank, said housing having a normally vertical axis coincident withsaid axis of said tank, said top wall of said housing being spaced fromsaid top wall of said tank and said side wall of said housing beingspaced from said side wall of said tank, whereby there is provided airspace between the top and side walls of said housing and the top andside walls of said tank and at least said side wall of said fuelcombustion chamber in the region of said top wall thereof, said airspace being in air flow communication with said air heating chamber,said housing further comprising bottom closure means in combination withsaid side wall of said fuel combustion chamber, which bottom closuremeans enclose said air space at the normally bottom end thereof;

hot air outlet means in combination with said air heating chamber andcomprising a duct disposed through said housing for the passage of hotair from said air heating chamber to outside of said housing;

air blower means in communication with the air space between the topwall of said tank and the top wall of said housing for introducing airinto said air space from outside of said housing;

combustion gas vent means comprising a pipe disposed along said axisthrough said top wall of said housing, top wall of said tank, said tank,said bottom wall of said tank and said top wall of said combustionchamher with the intake end thereof being disposed in said fuelcombustion chamber; and

fuel burner means centrally disposed in said fuel combustion chamber,said means being functionable to eject fuel transversely relative tosaid axis of said chamber toward said side wall of said chamber.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the normally bottom side ofsaid top Wall of said fuel combustion chamber is concave relative tosaid chamber.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein both the normally top andbottom side of said top wall of said fuel combustion chamber are arcuateand both the normally top and bottom sides of said bottom wall of saidtank are arcuate.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the normally bottom sideof said top wall of said fuel combustion chamber is concave relative tosaid fuel combustion chamber, the normally top side of said top wall ofsaid fuel combustion chamber is convex relative to the air heatingchamber, the normally bottom side of said bottom wall of said tank isconcave relative to said air heating chamber and the normally top sideof said bottom wall of said tank is convex relative to the interior ofsaid tank.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,455,988 12/1948Fife 126101 X 2,658,502 11/1953 Severance 126-101 JAMES W. WESTHAVER,Primary Examiner.

1. AN IMPROVED COMBINATION SPACE AND WATER HEATING APPARATUS WHICHCOMPRISES: A HOT WATER TANK DEFINED BY TOP, BOTTOM AND CYLINDRICAL SIDEWALLS AND COMPRISING COLD WATER INLET MEANS AND HOT WATER OUTLET MEANS,SAID TANK HAVING A NORMALLY VERTICAL AXIS; A FUEL COMBUSTION CHAMBERDEFINED BY TOP, BOTTOM AND CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALLS, SAID CHAMBER HAVING ANORMALLY VERTICAL AXIS COINCIDENT WITH SAID AXIS OF SAID TANK, SAID TOPWALL BEING BELOW SAID BOTTOM WALL OF SAID TANK AND SPACED THEREFROM, THESPACE BETWEEN SAID BOTTOM WALL OF SAID TANK AND SAID TOP WALL OF SAIDFUEL COMBUSTION CHAMBER FORMING AN AIR HEATING CHAMBER; A HOUSINGCOMPRISING A TOP WALL AND A CYLINDIRCAL SIDE WALL SURROUNDING SAID TANK,SAID HOUSING HAVING A NORMALLY VERTICAL AXIS COINCIDENT WITH SAID AXISOF SAID TANK, SAID TOP WALL OF SAID HOUSING BEING SPACED FROM SAID TOPWALL OF SAID TANK AND SAID SIDE WALL OF SAID HOUSING BEING SPACED FROMSAID SIDE WALL OF SAID TANK, WHEREBY THERE IS PROVIDED AIR SPACE BETWEENTHE TOP AND SIDE WALLS OF SAID HOUSING AND THE TOP AND SIDE WALLS OFSAID TANK AND AT LEAST SAID SIDE WALL OF SAID FUEL COMBUSTION CHAMBER INTHE REGION OF SAID TOP WALL THEREOF, SAID AIR SPACE BEING IN AIR FLOWCOMMUNICATION WITH SAID AIR HEATING CHAMBER, SAID HOUSING FURTHERCOMPRISING BOTTOM CLOSURE MEANS IN COMBINATION WITH SAID SIDE WALL OFSAID FUEL COMBUSTION CHAMBER, WHICH BOTTOM CLOSURE MEANS ENCLOSE SAIDAIR SPACE AT THE NORMALLY BOTTOM END THEREOF;